Finish on a '93 Guild DV-52 HG

tomvwash

Junior Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2019
Messages
63
Reaction score
26
Recently purchased this and wondering if there is a term for this on the HG finish--hard to describe, but what looks like, only in particular light, dry, grayish patches on the edge of the guitar bout and also top side, which don't feel any different from the rest of the finish. I thought I could rub them out with a finish polish, but still there, and prevalent enough to bother me. Any thoughts? Thank you,

Tom
 

wileypickett

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2009
Messages
4,964
Reaction score
4,490
Location
Cambridge, MA
Could it be paint? Several guitars I've bought used over the years had paint streaks, on the sides mainly, from the previous owners leaning the guitar against a wall. It comes off with a little Goo-Gone (NOT Goof-Off!) and elbow grease.

Could it be clouding from the previous owners arm going over the lower bout? That you can polish out, but it may take some persistence.

Beyond that, and without pics, it's kinda hard to say.
 

tomvwash

Junior Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2019
Messages
63
Reaction score
26
Yes, it won't come up in pic--definitely not paint. At a certain angle, it looks like thumb smudges. I will apply some polish. Anyone ever use Turtle Wax? I may try the Goo-Gone as well..
 

evenkeel

Senior Member
Silver Supporting
Joined
Sep 19, 2007
Messages
1,539
Reaction score
11
Turtle Wax is not your best option. Your guitar has a lacquer finish. Auto polishes and waxes often contain silicone and other ingredients that are not advisable to use with lacquer. On a guitar with a polyurethane finish then a auto wax such as Turtle wax is fine.
 

GardMan

Enlightened Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2006
Messages
5,359
Reaction score
959
Location
Utah
Guild Total
5
Sounds like it might just be a dulling of the finish where it has been in contact over the years with the players body/arm? You might hold off on the turtle wax for a bit (I know a number of LTGers use it for polishing, particularly poly finishes)... until a few more folks chime in. There are some LTGers that have used automotive finishing compounds by Maquiars (?), a two step process of a rubbing compound (VERY mildly abrasive) followed by a polish that seems to do wonders for old finishes. I have never tried it, so don't know the details. Good luck!
 

adorshki

Reverential Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
34,176
Reaction score
6,790
Location
Sillycon Valley CA
Sounds like it might just be a dulling of the finish where it has been in contact over the years with the players body/arm?
Second that, first thing that came to my mind too, because of location.
I have it on my D25 and don't know if there's a true "fix".
On mine, the sweat-damaged lacquer was actually a little bit "soft" and tacky; I actually discovered it during a cleaning/polishing session.
I had to let it rest for about 6 months before it wasn't tacky anymore; the lacquer sort of "repaired itself" by outgassing, the normal aging process with NCL, which allowed the lacquer to harden up again.
SO it polished up ok again, smooth and hard, but at the right angle one can still make about an area where the gloss is a bit cloudy like you describe.
I'm reluctant to use any of the abrasive polishes, even the highly-recommended Virtuoso, because the finish on it was already very thin to start.
 

bobouz

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2015
Messages
2,228
Reaction score
1,827
Virtuoso is interesting stuff. With very light rubbing, it’s virtually non-abrasive. But I’ve also used it as an abrasive to smooth out nitro drop-fills with more forceful rubbing, followed by lighter rubbing to wrap things up.

Best product for nitro on the market, imho.
 

tomvwash

Junior Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2019
Messages
63
Reaction score
26
The Amazon comments on the Virtuoso polish are interesting. Someone is describing a sticky haze, which is what mine sounds like. I don't think it's the body contact reaction, as I would recognize this--that cloudy damp shade, which does not go away. When I hold it up to a particular angle, it's not subtle. It looks like a soda pop residue or something, maybe mildly sticky. Thank you for the Virtuoso rec. I will try this. I actually left it with the local luthier this afternoon and awaiting word.
 

tomvwash

Junior Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2019
Messages
63
Reaction score
26
Grassdog! Your Virtuoso rec. worked wonders. Thank you very much. This even had the luthier stumped, better that I took care of it on my own. More than one going over and problem solved. Sold the Martin HD 35, and the Guild is the crown successor now.
 

Stuball48

Senior Member
Gold Supporting
Joined
Oct 22, 2017
Messages
4,736
Reaction score
2,534
Location
Dickson, TN
Grassdog! Your Virtuoso rec. worked wonders. Thank you very much. This even had the luthier stumped, better that I took care of it on my own. More than one going over and problem solved. Sold the Martin HD 35, and the Guild is the crown successor now.

Love happy endings
 

Grassdog

Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2009
Messages
550
Reaction score
118
Location
Cincinnati, OH
Grassdog! Your Virtuoso rec. worked wonders. Thank you very much. This even had the luthier stumped, better that I took care of it on my own. More than one going over and problem solved. Sold the Martin HD 35, and the Guild is the crown successor now.


Glad it worked for you - if it wasn't for others here on LTG I would never have known about it myself
 

dreadnut

Gone But Not Forgotten
Gone But Not Forgotten
Joined
Jun 15, 2005
Messages
16,082
Reaction score
6,442
Location
Grand Rapids, MI
Guild Total
2
+1 on the Virtuoso, I have their cleaner and polish.
 

hideglue

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2005
Messages
1,019
Reaction score
38
Location
Connecticut
Turtle Wax is not your best option. Your guitar has a lacquer finish. Auto polishes and waxes often contain silicone and other ingredients that are not advisable to use with lacquer. On a guitar with a polyurethane finish then a auto wax such as Turtle wax is fine.

Uh oh. Maybe another reason the axe came down on the Westerly factory; every buffing station’s polishing wheels were green from Turtle Wax.
 

adorshki

Reverential Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
34,176
Reaction score
6,790
Location
Sillycon Valley CA
Uh oh. Maybe another reason the axe came down on the Westerly factory; every buffing station’s polishing wheels were green from Turtle Wax.
"Huh"
Do you remember if it was supposed to be the same stuff used for cars or was it possibly a specialty mixture for use in like the "furniture" industry?
More to the point, do you know if it actually contained silicons? I could see a potential that it didn't.
Even then, the danger has always been described as the danger of silicons penetrating cracks in the finish and contaminating underlying wood,* something one wouldn't expect to be a problem in a brand new finish.

*making later finish repair problematic at best.
 

fronobulax

Bassist, GAD and the Hot Mess Mods
Joined
May 3, 2007
Messages
24,708
Reaction score
8,836
Location
Central Virginia, USA
Guild Total
5
"Huh"
Do you remember if it was supposed to be the same stuff used for cars or was it possibly a specialty mixture for use in like the "furniture" industry?
More to the point, do you know if it actually contained silicons? I could see a potential that it didn't.
Even then, the danger has always been described as the danger of silicons penetrating cracks in the finish and contaminating underlying wood,* something one wouldn't expect to be a problem in a brand new finish.

*making later finish repair problematic at best.

Did you by any chance notice that hideglue, who worked in Westerly, posted this so it might have been a joke? Since I am notorious for missing jokes or just responding as something were serious, I can't fault you for this but...
 

hideglue

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2005
Messages
1,019
Reaction score
38
Location
Connecticut
Did you by any chance notice that hideglue, who worked in Westerly, posted this so it might have been a joke? Since I am notorious for missing jokes or just responding as something were serious, I can't fault you for this but...

Not a joke. Well the part about another reason to shut the doors was— but we certainly used regular, green bottled Turtle Wax diluted with water and applied to the polishing wheels. This was not exclusive to Guild at the time.
 
Last edited:

fronobulax

Bassist, GAD and the Hot Mess Mods
Joined
May 3, 2007
Messages
24,708
Reaction score
8,836
Location
Central Virginia, USA
Guild Total
5
Not a joke. Well the part about another reason to shut the doors was— but we certainly used regular, green bottled Turtle Wax diluted with water and applied to the polishing wheels. This was not exclusive to Guild at the time.

Thank you for the correction and my apologies to Al.
 
Top